


Emeralds for a Pretty Boy

by STARSdidathing



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Attraction, Crimes & Criminals, Dark Character, Enemies to Lovers, Established Relationship, Flirting, Implied Sexual Content, Kidnapping, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, M/M, Minor Violence, Moral Ambiguity, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Villain Tony Stark, Wordcount: 1.000-5.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26694244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/STARSdidathing/pseuds/STARSdidathing
Summary: Tony Stark was a billionare with no morals and the Avengers were no match for him. Only Loki came close to beating him. He was a brilliant profiler and because of his wit, Tony always enjoy bantering with him.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 197
Kudos: 759
Collections: FrostIron





	1. Emeralds for a Pretty Boy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Leikio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leikio/gifts), [Hosio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hosio/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was inspired by a conversation with Leikio. Enjoy everyone!

Tony Stark walked into the warehouse in an expensive tailored suit and sunglasses. He was flanked by three bodyguards - or, perhaps _mercenaries_ was the right term. When you were a billionaire with no morals, it was easy to buy a small army to protect you.

Not that Stark truly needed the protection. He was a genius with technology more advanced than anything the Avengers could buy or make themselves.

He was their greatest enemy, and as much as Steve hated to say it, they were no match for him.

Stark beat them routinely, only to let them go with a wave and a mocking quip. ‘ _Try harder next time_ ’ or ‘ _Is this really the best the world has to offer?_ ’ and even the chilling, ‘ _If this keeps up, I’m running for President. That might be more entertaining_.’

They’d failed to stop him, again. Their group was captured, _again._

It was the same routine; he laid down traps or explosives, forcing them to put their lives at risk to stop him. They had to save the people and properties who were under threat. They managed, for the most part, but they never completely solved the puzzle. 

They’d come close, more than once, but Stark always had five tricks up his sleeve. The only one who came anywhere near matching him was tied up beside Steve.

Loki was a consultant, hired because he was good at solving puzzles and understanding the criminal mind. He was a brilliant profiler, terrifyingly efficient in a fight, and if you put Loki up against any other criminal, he had them behind bars within hours.

Stark was the only one he couldn’t beat.

And yet, he was also the only one who came _close_ and it was why Stark’s eyes always dragged to Loki whenever he caught them. It was the same thing today.

“Oh, Lokes,” Stark said, clicking his tongue. “Just couldn’t get it up, could you?”

Loki’s smile was sweet. “I’m not of a certain age yet, _Anthony_. I do believe that is more your problem than mine.”

Steve winced, but Stark barked out a laugh. 

He came closer and crouched down in front of Loki. He had the group of them tied to chairs with Steve and Loki in the front Natasha and Clint at the back.

If he’d have dared get so near Natasha, she would have used the opportunity to break free from her bonds. It didn’t matter that her chair was steel bolted to the ground, she’d find a way. Clint would have tried to headbutt him – the glare he was fixing on Stark meant he was likely envisioning it. Loki simply held Stark’s eyes. 

Stark rested his hands on Loki’s knees. Steve tensed, but Loki didn’t move.

“Loki, Loki, Loki,” Stark said. 

He raised one hand and lightly brushed his thumb against the corner of Loki’s mouth. He’d been punched and the area was already bruising and had a hint of blood. Loki didn’t even jerk away from the touch. Stark’s thumb came away red.

“You could be so beautiful, sweetheart. If you stopped playing their games, you could take the world by storm.” Stark leant a little closer. “Come to my side, Lokes, and I'll give you the best game you've ever had.”

Steve sucked in a breath. He’d known that Stark always fixated on Loki. He used their ‘interrogations’ as a chance to pick Loki’s brain and engage in rounds of visciously fast conversastions. Steve could never keep up with them, and even Natasha struggled.

The two of them were scarily well matched, and Steve had privately worried about Loki’s safety should Stark ever get sick of playing with them. This was the first time Stark had expressed a genuine _interest_ in Loki beyond an entertaining adversary.

Oh, he’d flirted with Loki, but no one took it seriously. Stark flirted with everybody – but, maybe they should have been more concerned.

“Is that so?” Loki drawled.

When Stark brought a hand to his glasses and pushed them up into his hair, Steve’s worries doubled. Stark’s glasses were part of his ‘persona’ one more layer to keep others from seeing inside. Loki had explained Stark’s defensive layers on more than one occasion. The suit, the glasses, the hair, the shoes. It all had a purpose.

Stark was letting Loki inside. He was doing it for all to see.

“You could be amazing, Lokes,” Stark said. “You could stand right beside me.”

He ran his thumbs over Loki’s legs, but his brown eyes never looked away from sharp green.

Steve held his breath. He didn’t doubt Loki’s conviction, but he worried for Stark’s reaction. He’d never been violent; never beaten them when they were tied down. He had a code of honour, no matter how warped it might be.

Steve was worried that Loki saying ‘ _no_ ’ would end up with him playing a game of life and death, with no chance of surviving.

“Tempting,” Loki remarked, his tone dry. “But, I can’t be bought by airy promises.”

Stark’s lips twitched. “Why, Lokes. I didn’t take you for the diamonds type.”

“I would think emeralds would be more approporiate,” Loki rebutted.

Stark finally laughed. He also stood, but he took Loki’s chin in his hand, tilting it up so that he could look down into Loki’s eyes.

“I’ll make a note.”

“You do that.”

Stark chuckled again before bending down. He stopped a hairsbreadth from Loki’s lips, their eyes stayed locked and Stark let Loki’s chin go. Loki could move away, he could avoid what was coming – but when Stark closed the distance, Loki let him.

Their lips came together in a simple touch. Their eyes were locked and challenging. It was another, strange level to their competition. When Stark pulled back, he was grinning. 

“Emeralds it is,” Stark said, amusement making his eyes sparkle.

He turned on his heel and started walking away, his guards following behind. He pulled his sunglasses back on even as he called over his shoulder.

“Try to make it out before the bomb explodes. Thirty minutes is plenty of time, right?”

He disappeared before they could say a word, and in the scramble to get themselves free and out of the blast radius, there wasn’t any time to ask about the kiss. In fact, Steve mostly forgot about it, writing it off as one more power game between Loki and Stark.

But, when all the emeralds in New York went missing overnight, Steve remembered the warehouse with a cold chill. He glanced at Loki and saw, for a brief moment, the amused twitch of thin lips. Steve felt a different fear take hold in his breast.

Stark and Loki were scarily well matched, and if the Avengers had no chance of beating one genius intellect, what would they do, if there was two?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~And Loki and Tony may already be in a sexual relationship that no one knows about. Maybe Tony's just trying to romantically get Loki to come to his side for good and take the world by storm XD~~
> 
> ~~Maybe, Loki's close to saying _yes_~~
> 
>  **EDIT:** There is now a slightly darker sequel. Or maybe not so much _darker_ as opposed to from one of the boy's pov not an outsider. So if you feel like it, try chapter 2! :)


	2. Champagne for my Real Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. My fingers slipped and it's all **Hosio's** fault XD ♥
> 
> And while I don't usually title chapters, this one was too good to pass so. *shrugs*
> 
> It gets a biiiiit darker here. **Be warned**.

“What would you even know? You’re not a real investigator. You just have some bullshit degree that makes you think you know more than us. Go back to your books and fuck off.”

The room went eerily silent after the outburst. Loki remained calm and collected, his façade not revealing the anger rising within or the disgust that wanted to curl his lip. He simply turned on his heel and walked away.

As he walked, he started loosening his tie, pulling it further to the side until he could yank it off in one smooth motion. He didn’t go back to _his_ desk; he went to where the Avengers were sitting around a table discussing the latest threat.

He had been _asked_ to lend his expertise to another team who were tracking down a serial killer. 

Loki had been insulted by supposed ‘investigators’ for most of his career. He had also watched them take the glory of his genius and muddy it with their boorish footsteps and fingerprints.

Another _Thor_.

Another place to be ignored, overshadowed and underappreciated.

The straw had finally broken the camel’s back, and he was _livid._

Loki stepped up to the desk of investigators, ignoring their friendly and confused greetings. He pulled out his ID badge, his standard-issue handgun and placed them both on the table. 

“Pass on my resignation to Director Fury,” Loki said.

He then turned on his heel and walked away.

They shouted and Rogers even dared to grab his upper arm. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists to keep from lashing out.

“Loki,” Rogers said. “Loki, wait, don’t do something rash. What happened?”

Loki _almost_ laughed. 

_Rash._

Yes, because he was so known for being _rash._

Or rather, he made decisions that _no one else could understand_. They fell behind and thought he was _rash_.

Only one person did _not_ fall behind. He kept up and found Loki running faster and higher in a bid to match _him_.

The same powerful, _ludicrous_ man who had left emeralds like rose petals from his doorway to his bed, letting the remainder form a large, green heart. He had _laughed_ and shaken his head.

Only one man would steal him a city’s worth of jewels as a love declaration. 

Not, that he had not heard the declaration many times before.

“Your investigators can insult and belittle a _new_ profiler,” Loki said coldly. “ _I_ am through.”

He shook off Rogers arm and stalked away. No one followed after him. He knew that Romanov would be holding Rogers back. They would be planning to uncover what had happened and ‘ _fix it_ ’.

It was useful only in that they left him _alone_.

He stepped into the unoccupied elevator and pulled out his phone. He dialled a familiar number and put it to his ear. It only took two rings before a warm, excited voice filled his ear. 

“Lokes! Calling me on a workday! Whatever will the other investigators think?”

Loki’s lips finally twitched into a smile.

This was the most dangerous man in the world. A man who had routinely tied him and his former colleagues to a chair and threatened explosions, evisceration and, once, memorably, being eaten by alligators. 

A man who, several months ago, had walked up to him while Loki was purchasing a new suit at his favourite tailor. He had smirked devilishly, pushed Loki up against a wall and kissed him.

Loki had kissed _back_.

They’d been fucking ever since.

Loki _enjoyed_ being Anthony Stark’s lover. The man was terrific in bed, had the sharpest smirk and the sweetest smile. He could be affectionate and loving, but he could also be ruthless, cold and _violent_.

The last man who had punched Loki had ended up face down in the river with his guts hanging out.

Loki had been flattered and had made his appreciation known with a _very_ filthy blowjob. 

Anthony had suggested, again, as they were laying together in the aftermath, that he try a career change. Specifically, one that would allow him to share Anthony’s bed every night and go to gala events on Anthony’s arm.

But, Loki had _fun_ at his job. He liked having access to government systems, watching criminal interrogations and examining crime scene photos.

Anthony promised to hack into any of the systems he liked and let him interrogate whoever he wanted on Anthony’s staff. It had been _tempting_ but Loki had thus far declined, happy enough working with the Avengers and watching their failures. Especially when those failures were orchestrated by Anthony.

But it had been one inept and useless investigator too many. One _insult_ too far and Loki was finally accepting.

“I believe you had a job offer for me.” 

He heard Anthony’s breath catch. The only indication of his surprise before he quickly, _eagerly_ replied, “I’ll bring a car around. Don’t you go _anywhere_ , Lokes.”

Loki small smile grew wider.

“And where else would I go? You are the only place worth being.”

Anthony made a sound in the back of his throat. His voice was lower and flooded with desire when he answered, “Five minutes, Loki. I’ll be there in _five fucking minutes_.”

Loki laughed outright. “Afraid I’ll change my mind?”

“More like disinclined to spend any more time without you by my side.”

If Loki wasn’t careful, his smile would show his dimples. “I’ll be waiting.”

He hung up and slipped the phone back in his pocket. He leant against the back of the elevator and let his gaze trail up to the camera. His fond grin turned to a small smirk. He knew this building as well as his hand and what he didn’t know, Anthony could access with a few taps to a keyboard.

Anthony had been playing a game with them. It was half for amusement, half for a chance to play with Loki. It was a test of intellect. It was a _courtship_. And Loki knew that once he explained what had finally tipped him to Anthony’s side, the man responsible would be a smear of blood by dawn.

And knowing Anthony, he’d take photos of the crime scene, just for him.

Anthony was the one person who _never_ missed a step. Who never let him down.

And even though it took eight minutes for Anthony to arrive, he turned up in a limousine and when Loki stepped inside, Anthony had a bottle of champagne and there were no sunglasses in sight. His brown eyes were on display; bright and a little manic as he held out a flute already filled with the sparkling liquid.

“Welcome home, babe,” Anthony said, leaning forward. “I’ve missed you.”

Loki was already smiling when Anthony kissed him.

_Welcome home, indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I have no plans to write more, **PunkPlaidKitty** and I did ramble a little in the comments about future scenarios. You can find them [here](https://archiveofourown.org/comments/349103347). Enjoy! :)

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Love for a Broken Man](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26871751) by [SilverScaler3000](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverScaler3000/pseuds/SilverScaler3000)




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